Wind and Water
by gillian-raine
Summary: if you're like me and have the 'what if' question bugging you about Chihiro and Haku then take a glance at this... R
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: well, like i said this is to satify my own 'what if' questions... tell me if you hate it... or if you have any constructive comments ... or if you want me to stop right here then tell me through your reviews... R&R_

**Chapter 1**

"Children settle down please," Chihiro called over the class she handled. "Boys please return to your seats, that's enough." She announced and clapped her hands to get the attention of the circle of boys torturing an insect. The young pupils started to quiet down and sit in a circle.

"Is everybody ready for our story?" Chihiro asked the class, they chorused their approval. "Alright, today, I'm going to tell you a story about a little princess…"

Chihiro walked down the corridor, arms full of finished materials made by the children. She was the head of the HR Department of a large company in Tokyo. Entering her office, she dropped the materials in one corner and sat behind her desk. _It was my idea, _she reminded herself.

Recently in a survey conducted by her department on employee absence, that majority of the time the employees usually had to stay home because of their young children. It was the job of her department to optimize employee performance and attendance. Hence, she came up with the idea of an in-house day care center for the children of the employees.

She had been handling the "child center" as the employees had called it and so far the performance of the employees had increased. The executive committee was very impressed with her work and commended her on her 'capital' idea. They really liked the results of her experiment and even set aside a budget to keep the center open.

_Unfortunately, not one decent preschool handler has shown up. _It has been two months and Chihiro was still on the search for a permanent teacher for the children. So far, not one of the applicants qualified.

Chihiro sighed as she flipped through the paper work on her desk, _if I keep this up I wouldn't have the energy to go home everyday. _During the hunt for a decent teacher, Chihiro had decided to put her Degree in Behavioral Science to better use, after all she did take a minor in Child Studies.

She yawned, it was quite a long drive home. She better get started and made her way out the building. _It looks like rain, just great…_

_> >_

A man took a sip of his coffee as he continued to flip through the classifieds. _Searching for a job isn't as easy as I thought it would be here in Tokyo, _he thought as he circled a couple of ads to apply for the coming day.

_Maybe I shouldn't have left, _he pondered and then shook his head, _no it was my decision, this is just one road block_. He took another sip of coffee, eyes scanning the ads. Outside his apartment, the wind howled and it began drizzling.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: not mine, maybe except for the kids... and the last name... :)_

_Author's note: finally an update, forgiving me please, i know it's annoying to wait but i just had a lot to do for school... and I had writer's block... oh and by the way why don't you guys toss me your ideas... since I wrote thisout of a spurs of the moment thing and well, I can't remember my former plans... so hope you like this next chapter... R&R_

**Chapter 2**

Chihiro parked her new Ferari in her usual parking space. _Hey, this is the only thing I splurge on, give me a break, _she thought as a company memo reminding her of her insurance payment running a little late. Chihiro sighed as she walked to the elevator many papers in tow.

The only thing Chihiro lacked was a PA. _Drat, better get myself one of those. _Chihiro nearly jumped for joy when the elevator finally parted, and thanked the heavens it was empty.

She was running a bit late, dropping of her reports in all the right pigeon holes, she made her way to the child center. Chihiro opened the door to the chaos of her supposed learning children. There was a specific reason why she had the room sound proofed and she was reminded of that then and there.

"Teacher!" Miko screamed. "Teacher, teacher, teacher,…"

"Ma'am," her secretary's faced lightened up at the sight of her. "You're in." Chihiro could faintly hear the unsaid "hallelujah".

"I see you tried, Kia," Chihiro said, making her voice rise above the whining and bickering of the children running around her knees. Kia smiled and sped out. Chihiro sighed, reached into her pocket and brought out a whistle.

"Class, please go the meeting area. Harry! Please get off Taka!" When not one of the children responded, Chihiro placed the whistle to her mouth and blew.

The noisy class of preschoolers stopped and looked at her, Chihiro smiled in triumph, the whistle was a new idea. "Alright to the meeting area everybody."

When Chihiro saw Tina smile, she knew something was wrong, "Teacher, I have one too." Then brought out her own whistle and started blowing. Chihio sighed, _okay, bad idea, _as the classroom returned to it's noise again.

Miko and Mina continue running around her knees. "Mina! Mina! Mina!" Miko repeatedly blared to Mina's consistent 'no's' in the same high pitched voice. "Teacher Mina doesn't want to play with me!"

Chihiro looked up, _please somebody help me, my class just took a dose of hyperactivity…_

_>_

This was definitely not his element. The organized and neatly labeled doors along the white corridor that blatantly screamed 'executive' at him only further increased the feeling that he was in the wrong building. The secretary sent him this way, so he must be in the right building right?

He came to the room labeled, "Child Center". _Strange,_ he though as he tried to listen harder, it was too quiet for children. _Maybe I really am in the wrong building, _he thought as he knocked on the door. After a few tries, he finally decided to turn the knob to check if he was knocking on possibly a janitor's closet.

"Hello?" He called and pulled the door ajar. He jumped back as s little girl and boy ran out of the doorway.

"Shut the door," the woman inside said as she tried to dissuade the three year olds from their idea of going out.

He complied, "Yes, ma'am, I'll go get them for you," then sprinted after the two running children down the hallway.

>

After sealing the children in the room, Chihiro ran after the man running after her wards.

"But I want to play with her," Chihiro heard Miko's distinct voice as she rounded the corner.

"I don't like you!" Mina's said as stuck out her tongue at Miko. "I like to play with Harry." She finished as she hid behind the man who was on his knees talking to the two kids.

"Don't you want to play with Miko for just a little while?" the man asked Mina.

"No, I don't like him," was Mina's reply.

"But he likes to play with you, don't you want a new friend?"

"Yes," Mina whispered, "but I like Harry to play with me."

"Hey I have an idea, why don't we go back and you two can play with Harry like friends. Is that alright?"

"Okay, but I get to play with Mina too," Miko told the man.

He smiled, "Of course."

Chihiro was at awe at how the children listened to him. Even in her studies has she never seen children respond to a stranger so well. He picked up Mina, and she happily clung to his neck.

"Do you want me to carry you back too?" He asked Miko.

Miko shook his head, "No, mister, I'm a big boy, I can walk like my dad. I'm going to office."

"Okay, Big Boy, let's go to office," he said and lead them back to the classroom.

When he passed Chihiro, he smiled she couldn't help but return it. He placed Mina and Miko beside Harry, the three began to play in a corner. He stood and made his way to the door where Chihiro stood guard.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't know," he began to apologize. "I was looking for the head of the human resource department, but I see the job I was eyeing has already been taken. Have a good day ma'am, you have some pretty good kids right here."

He tried to get past her, but Chihiro wasn't about to let him get away, "You're hired!"

"Excuse me?" He asked politely.

"I'm the head of HRD, and you are now officially hired. This is your class," Chihiro practically yelled, now she definitely heard her own, 'halellujahs'. The man blinked at her, like she just offered him gold.

"Thank you so much," he said then respectfully bowed to her. "You don't know what this means."

_No you don't know what this means, _Chihiro thought as she smiled, _Freedom!_ "So, what's the name of my new teacher?"

"Oh, yes, I'm Haku. Kohaku Mizaki."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: I'm sorry just counldn't get on for hte last week and i have been so so so busy... anyway thanks to everyone that has been reviewing and reading and please continue on doing so... another chapter... that i hope is good... but anyway thanks again and R&R_

**Chapter 3**

Haku sent the last of his wards towards his waiting mother in the hallway. It had been a couple of weeks now and the children were really shaping up. Haku was a natural with children and he knew that. The internet café, downstairs just provided him with what the children were suppose to be learning at their age.

He walked to the corner of the drying glue activity the children just had and started sorting them out.

"Excuse me, Mizaki-san," Chihiro knocked at the door.

"Mido-sama, what brings you here?" Asked Kohaku wondering if he was fired. Job hunting wasn't easy at all.

"Oh, just checking up. I'll be sitting in your class soon to do just a little assessment, so be ready."

"Of course, if there is anything I need improving on please do inform me, Mido-sama," Kohaku replied respectfully.

"No need for formalities, Haku-sensei, as the children call you." Chihiro intoned looking at the greatly improved and _clean_ Child Center. "Call me Chihiro."

"Hai, Chihiro-sama,"

Chihiro smiled a bit amused. "Alright, I wanted to congratulate you for making it this far. I was expecting a mountain of complaints from you or the parents but as of now nothing bad has reached me. Keep it up, Haku." Then made her way out of the Child Center.

Haku found himself singing on the way home. It has been that way for the past couple of weeks.

Chihiro rummaged through her bag for her apartment keys. _Now, where in the world are you…_

Having finally located them, she tumbled into her own little haven she calls home. She was a bit wet since it had rained and the guy from down the corridor parked at her usual parking space close to the apartment gate. So, hence she had to walk.

Chihiro sighed as she fell onto her leather arm chair. She was aching all over, what more is that she had a report the following day. Well, as much as she hoped hse was done she wasn't even half finished. She just wanted to lie there and hope tomorrow won't come but she knew that just wouldn't do. She after all was Chihiro Mido, the pride of her family.

Dragging her body off the couch she proceeded to the kitchen and prepared her dinner which basically consists of opening the freezer and pooping the instant meal into the microwave. Such was her life in Tokyo.

Haku fished out his keys from his pocket. He was dripping wet and a puddle was forming at his feet. He paced the key in and placed all his weight on the very _sturdy_ door. His first shove didn't work so he heaved again and he was rewarded by stumbling into his apartment.

Well, it was more of a room actually. A studio type and that was putting it nicely. He closed his door and bolted it. He pulled out his dinner from his bag. He stopped by the market to pick up some fish and a small cup of rice. He dried himself off and heated up a pan to cook his dinner.

He brought out the article on cognitive development in three years old and began to read. Harry, one of his students seem to have excluded himself from his class. He sighed he hoped that nothing was wrong with Harry, if there is he hoped he could help him.

_Why am I such a sucker for kids? _He wondered.

Maybe because he couldn't remember his own childhood. Try as he may to do so.


End file.
